Berkshire Eagle
'From the opening flight of melody, Fliter took you to places you never expected to go in this well-worn work, and made you glad you went. Her way with melody was glistening; her freedom with phrase and rhythm was luxurious.'
more >>

The Telegraph
'Finding perfect grace in Chopin...the intelligence and passion of her playing are beyond dispute.'
more >>

MusicWeb International
Recording of the Month: 'Fliter's disc is a winner all-round, however, and its freshness, clarity and beauty means that it's the one I'll be coming back to most readily when next I want to hear these works.'
more >>

Pizzicato
'Fliter is an outstanding performer in both of Chopin’s Concertos, and her sonorous though also poetic playing is complemented by a very transparent [and] rhetoric orchestral sound.'
more >>

The Guardian
'Fliter's excitingly grand, more "old-fashioned" playing is perfectly etched against alert orchestral accompaniments from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.'
more >>

Classical Ear
'Fliter has the strength that allows her the utmost refinement...With the always excellent SCO, ex-EMI producer John Fraser in charge, and impeccable Linn sound in Edinburgh's Usher Hall, this should certainly be snapped up.'
more >>

Gramophone
Choice: 'Fliter plays with such grace and heartfelt sincerity...'
more >>

Classic FM
Album of the Weekend: 'It's a breathtaking performance...'
more >>

BBC Music Magazine
'The outer movements of both Concertos have an authoritative confidence and are often coloured with beautifully judged dynamic shading, while the slow movements, especially of No. 2, are beautifully poised and poetic.’
more >>

The Guardian
‘This is very much Chopin playing in the great tradition: rich-toned, generous though never profligate with its rubato, and invested with a vast range of keyboard colour.’
more >>

SA-CD.net
‘The scintillating performances of the outer movements of these two concertos exemplify this pianist's immaculate technique and excellent musicianship.’
more >>

Classic FM
Album of the Week: ‘It’s a breathtaking performance.'
more >>

Chopin's two concertos are all about the pianist, the slender writing for the orchestra doing little more than providing plain settings for the exquisitely cut jewels with which the soloist beguiles us. Or at least that's what received opinion tells us. But from this CD's opening moments, before the pianist has even played a note, you're aware of some pretty serious re-thinking going on.

Jun Märkl really rips into the orchestral opening of the First: it's partly a matter of balance, with the bass instruments within the orchestra given more prominence than usual, partly of telling phrasing. He's a potent partner for Ingrid Fliter, who can make a line sing with the best of them, but who also has a certain inner steeliness, with playing entirely devoid of sentimentality. And her phrasing! That is a thing of immense subtlety and beauty, as is the liquid ease of the more virtuoso passages. Is her speed for the slow movement of the Second Concerto just too slow? Perhaps, but overall this is a superb collaborative effort, warmly recorded, that makes this a disc not only for lovers of these pieces but also for anyone who has yet to be convinced of their quality.